Internal combustion engine



May 3, 1932. J. A. M MILLAN 1,356,348

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 13. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Jr A. MCMILLAN 1,856,348

- INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE May 3, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1:5.

dmleralzdelmllam lNVENTOR ATTOR N EY Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFica JOHN ALEXANDER MCMILLAN, OF MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, ASSIGNOR ONE-THIRD T ALBERT DEADMAN AND ONE-THIRDv TO ROBERT WILLIAM HOLMES, OF MONGTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed August 13, 1927. Serial No. 212,763.

El] means for controlling the'inlet of mixture and the exhaust of burnt gases, an important feature being the elimination of the usual poppet or tappet valves.

An important object of the invention is .10: the provision of an engineof this character which on account ofhaving an improved valve mechanism will be very quiet in opera tion, therparticular valve mechanism employed being of the piston type, and acting to force the explosive mixture into the successive cylinders in their firing order, no time being lost on any of the strokes and there being no delay .in the admission of the explosive mixture. i

Afurther object is to provide an engine of this character which on account of the elimination of the usual type of poppet valves will be not only quiet in operation but will be also practically free from carbon troubles inasmuch as any accumulation of carbon on any of the moving parts will not in any way affect the operation of the valves, the valves being furthermore of such type that they do notneed to beground at any time as in the case with those'of the usual patternj Yet another object is to vprovide an'engine of this character in which the piston valves are positively driven by the crank shaft, it being moreover a feature that the relation may be varied in order to advance or retard the action vas may be desired, depending upon the nature of the work the engine is called upon to do. w

An additional object is to provide an engine of this character which will be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, use and operate, positive in action, efficient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art. .7 v

Withthe above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention preferably consists in the arrangement and combination of parts and the detailed structure to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through one cylinder, and illustrating the valve for controlling the inlet of fuel mixture.

Figure 2 is a similar view but the section being taken through the valve for controlling the exhaust.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on substantially the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on substantially the line H of Figure 1. 8

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown the engine as comprising the usual or any preferred crankcase 10 upon which may be mounted in any desired manner any suitable number of cylinders 11 preferably water-jacketed indicated at 12, as

is the common practice. The cylinders may be cast en bloc and are closed by means of a detachable cylinder head 13 having a suitable opening at each cylinder within which is located a spark plug-14 to which a high tension current is supplied by any suitable 'means. Operating within the cylinder 11 is a piston15 having a wrist pin connection 16 with a connecting rod '17 which is in turn connected with the crank portion 18 of the crank shaft 19 which is journaled in any suitable manner longitudinally of the crank case I 10, the crank case being preferably formed of separable sections as isacommon practice in order that access may be had to the crank shaft and connecting rod hearings in case of any necessity for repairing the same. Up to this point there is nothing novel about the construction but all of these parts must be shown and described for the sake of clearness.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a 1 housing 20 at one side of the crank case and cylinder, this housing being closed by a preferably removable cover plate21 held in place by any suitable means whatsoever. J ournaled within this housing 20 is a crank shaft 22 having a crank portion 23 adapted to be driven by the crank shaft 19 in any suitable manner as for example by means of what is called a silent chain 24: trained about sprockets 25 and 26 on the crank shafts 19 and 22 respectively. The ratio of these sprockets is such that forlevery two rotations or revolutions of the crank shaft 19, the crank shaft 22 will be given one rotation The numerals 27 and 28 designate twaseparate cylinderswhidi are preferably formed integrally with. the cylinder block and crank case, though it is conceivable thatitheyi may be constructed separately and then attached by some suitable means. The cylinder 274s connected with the intake manifold29 while M, the cylinder 28 is connected with theexhaust' cylinders 27 and 28 communicate with the cylinder 11 through ports 35 and 36 which are.bridged by guide elements 37- provided forthe purpose of preventing touching or hanging of the packing rings 38 on the piston. Y

' In the operation, it willbe seen that .at nearly the end-of the power stroke, as shown iniFigure 1,.the piston 13 is near its lowermost position while the pistons3l and 32 are still closing the ports 35. and 36. W henthe piston has-completedrits power stroke in the engine cylinder, it is of course necessary that the exhaust valve or piston 32must uncover 'the port 36 so that as the piston 15 moves upwardly on its scavenging stroke theburnt gases will be-expelled and will pass out into the exhaust manifold 30' in advance of the piston 32 which consequently acts somewhat as a pump for positively forcing this ex haust matter out. After the piston 15 has thus completed its scavenging stroke and starts back down on the intake stroke, the

intake control valve or piston 31 un'covers the port 35, so that the downward movement of the pistons 15 will act .to suck in afresh charge of combustible mixture.v After reachingthe lower end of .its intake stroke, the cylinder 15 starts upward on its compression stroke and at this time thepiston 31 must of course reclose the port-35 sothat the combustiblelmixture will be compressed in the explosion chamber. When the spark occurs ,at the spark plug and ignition of the charge results the piston .15 is" o f-course forced downwardly on itspower stroke. This completes the cycle of operation. It will of course be apparent that after the piston 31 has moved downwardly to permit the explosive mixture to enter the cylinder 11 and starts upwardly the explosive mixture for- Inerlybehindthe piston .31 becomes compressed and is therefore forced positively hack into the intake manifold and is applied under pressure to the next cylinder in the i'pr'op'er firingerder tlin view? ofzth'is act-ion, it: is apparent. that there; wiltbera positive feedioficombustiblei.inixturesitozithexsuccessive cy'linders and the action will be consequently accelerated to a material degree.

From the foregoing description and a studypfthe drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus I provided a s imply'constructed, inexpensive and highlyreflicientlinternal combustionengine idoesgnot in any way make. use of the usual Q and vwe'll ,knownpo ppet or tappeflvalve and will therefore be practically gnoiseless in operation, so far as valve movement -is concerned, and free from carbontroiibles.

for any reason, it should ,be found neces sary to retime-the parts to accelerate-orire-pfl tard the action, it is-apparent that after the noiseless chain 234 is disconnected, thepistons 31 and -32 and 15 m beymoved relatively, subsequently to which :the 'chainI24: mayl be reengaged withthesprockets 26th 5& a mannerto be well understood; 'Itis for this reason that the plate 21 ,is preferably detachable so as to, give access to theintel flr of the housing 20. Itis really-believemthat from the foregoing, the;construotion, operation and advantages will be readilyapparent oone skilled in thel art without furthergex :While I have shown ferred embodiment of the inventioin'it should E1305 be understood-thatI reserve the right to make all such changes in the details :ofconstruction and the" arrangement and combinationofparts as will notldep art"froin the spirit of the inventionror,the scope of theefl' subjoined claim, i l I .I-lavin g :thus described the invention, 7 I

I 'An internal combustion enginecomp-ris- 'inga cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports :"I

of thesame transverse sectional areagand communicating Iwith, the {cylinder ,at the same level, a piston slidable'in saidjcylinder, a crank shaftj ournaled. beyondthe end of the cylinder, a rod connecting said. piston-with the crank shaft, asecond crank shaft journaled at thefsi de ofthelfirst mentioned' crank shaft and having "crank arms 'dispo'seidg proximately j ninety" f degrees 1 apart, .means operativelyconnecting the" first mentioned crank shaft with the second mentioned crank shaft and ratioedto eifect' one revolutioneof the second mentionedcrank shaft .incident to two revolutions of the first mentioned crank shaft, a pair of cylinders connected 1 ports respectively, a piston slidable in each of the last mentioned cylinders, said pistons having at their upper flat ends surfaces lying in planes at right angles to the vertical axes of the pistons, a rod connecting each of the last mentioned pistons at its center with one of the arms of the second mentioned crank shaft, said arms being of such length as to draw the said fiat surfaces of the pistons to the level of the surfaces of the lower walls of the ports as the arms pass under the shaft, whereby said cylinders and pistons act as suction and compression pumps at the intake and exhaust ports respectively.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN ALEXANDER MGMILLAN. 

